How It Could Have Been
by Kelekona8
Summary: What would have happened if Qui-Gon hadn't had died? What would have happened if he trained Anakin and Anakin didn't turn?
1. The Beginning

And here is the first chapter of my repost of How It Could Have Been. I will try to improve the old chapters as I go along.  
  
Disclaimer: Hmm...Let's think about this one...NOPE! NOT MINE! IT BELONGS TO GOOD OL' GORGIE-BOY!  
  
~8~  
  
The Beginning  
  
Everything is changed because Qui-Gon didn't actually died, instead he almost died, in-fact they actually though he was going to die, but he didn't. Because he defeated Darth Maul Obi-Wan was promoted to Jedi Knight and the council granted Qui-Gon permission to take Anakin on as his Padawan Learner. Anakin and Obi-Wan over time became friends, Obi-Wan took on an apprentice. Anakin and Padmé got back together again and fell in love. Palpatine tried to turn Anakin to the Dark Side, but Anakin didn't go over. Palpatine did find someone else to be his apprentice, but he was very angry with Anakin for refusing him. The Clone Wars took place; Obi-Wan, Anakin and Qui-Gon fought in them; Anakin became a Jedi Knight; Anakin and Padmé got married; Palpatine rose to power; Padmé became pregnant with Luke and Leia; Jedi Purge came; Padmé had Luke and Leia; Padmé, Anakin, Luke and Leia had to separate for their own safety. Leia was sent to Aldaraan to live under the care of Bail Organa. She became friends with Winter. Padmé was sent to Ithor; she stayed there until the Rebellion. Anakin was on his way to an outer-rim world when he caught a whiff of the Rebellion. Yoda still went to Degobagh. Qui-Gon more or less traveled around checking up on everyone. Anakin and Padmé asked Obi-Wan to take care of Luke and make him his Padawan, Obi-Wan agreed (albeit a little reluctantly because his first Padawan was the one who became Palpatine's apprentice.) He took Luke and himself to Tatooine, but on the way they had to stop on a planet for supplies (don't ask me what planet it was, I don't know.) While there Obi- Wan saw a woman carrying a child being chased down by Imperial guards, he helped her get away from them. They head for his ship, but when they were almost there the woman was shot. She kept going and made it aboard the ship. Obi-Wan took off, they went through a typical fight-to-get-out- of- the-system-alive scene, and did. Once in hyperspace Obi-Wan went back to check on the woman, her child and Luke. When he got back there the woman was lying on the couch, bleeding profusely from the left side of her chest. Obi-Wan immediately set about trying to save her life, but she stopped him and knowingly told him that it was too late, that it had hit her heart. She asked him to care for her daughter, Mara Jade. Then she died. Obi-Wan realizes that Mara is Force sensitive and takes both she and Luke with him to Tatooine, raises them and takes them on as his Padawan Learners.  
  
And so our story begins... 


	2. The First Day

The First Day  
  
Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in the doorway of the room in which he had spent the last half an hour. He looked upon the two children sleeping in the bed, both weren't yet a year old and both of their faces were tear stained from hours crying.  
  
Obi-Wan rubbed his face tiredly, took one last look at the children then turned and left. He went to a small room and sat down at the com-station. He initiated a connection to Aldaraan. After a few seconds the face of Bail Organa appeared a mirror of how Obi-Wan felt.  
  
"Bail."  
  
"Obi-Wan," Bail replied. "Long day?"  
  
Obi-Wan nodded. "We arrived about half an hour ago, more or less safely, but we picked up another passenger along the way."  
  
Bail looked confused.  
  
"I am now the guardian of Mara Jade, a Force sensitive little girl about Luke's age, as well as Luke," Obi-Wan explained with a wry expression.  
  
"And how did this come about?" Bail raised an eyebrow in enquiry.  
  
"Her father, from what I could gather, is dead, her mother died on my ship after saving Mara from Imperial troopers. She asked me to take care of Mara just before she died."  
  
A sad smile appeared on Bail's face, "You didn't want to take on *one* Padawan and now you have *two* it would seem."  
  
Obi-Wan smiled sadly in return grateful for Bail's attempt to lighten the mood.  
  
"The bittersweet irony." Obi-Wan shook his head. He had noticed how the war and recent events had caused him and most others to gain a rather dark sense of humor.  
  
"An irony that might actually help you," Bail said quietly looking at Obi- Wan in a way that had always made Obi-Wan feel that Bail didn't need the Force to convince people to do what he wanted them to do, "Are they alright?" he asked changing the subject.  
  
"They spent the last few hours crying and have only just cried themselves to sleep a few minutes ago." Obi-Wan paused. "Luke asked me if the same thing was going to happen to his parents, that happened to Mara's...I didn't have an answer for him."  
  
Bail nodded understandingly. "Leia cried herself to sleep too, asking for her mother, father and brother. I wish I could have given them to her."  
  
Obi-Wan nodded in agreement, he had been wishing the same thing, for both Luke and Mara, but he was also wishing that there had been no need to separate them from their families.  
  
"Do you have any idea where Anakin and Padmé might be?" Bail gave Obi-Wan an enquiring, and almost pleading look.  
  
"Only that one of them is in the mid-rim and the other is in the outer-rim. I don't know which one is where, Qui-Gon and Yoda thought it safer for it to be that way."  
  
Bail nodded.  
  
"Do you think we'll make it?" He had a tired look on his face.  
  
Obi-Wan rubbed his hand over his chin thoughtfully, "I have wondered that myself, but I have no answers, only the Force knows." He sat silently for a moment. "Have you heard anything about..." He couldn't bring himself to speak the name.  
  
Bail pressed his lips together and finally shook his head. "Qui-Gon refuses to divulge her location."  
  
Obi-Wan nodded in resignation. "Of course. I just - I -" He sighed.  
  
Bail looked slightly uncomfortable. "We had best break this off, may the Force be with you, Obi-Wan."  
  
"And you, the Force knows we'll need its help," Obi-Wan wryly replied.  
  
Bail chuckled and cut the transmition.  
  
Obi-Wan sat back for a few minutes thinking. Then he got up and walked to the room where Mara and Luke were sleeping. He silently watched them sleep. It was the perfect picture of peace. That is what Obi-Wan hoped that they would help to someday bring back to the galaxy. In the mean time he thought that perhaps Bail was right. Maybe they would be the ones to start Obi- Wan's healing.  
  
"You will become Jedi...I promise," he murmured, and then quietly shut the door. 


	3. A Mother's Tears

A Mother's Tears  
  
Padmé Naberrié Amidala Skywalker stood in front of a window looking down upon the lush world of Ithor. It was a breath taking sight, but it did nothing to sooth the pain in her heart.  
  
She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a small holoprojector and she turned it on. An image of herself holding Leia and Anakin holding Luke side by side appeared. Tears stung her eyes and a lump formed in her throat. She missed them so much, all she wanted was to be with her family, to hold and cuddle Luke and Leia, to have Anakin hold her and tell her he loved her. To feel safe and secure once more, to just let the world slip away to nothing.  
  
A tear slid down her cheek, she closed her eyes and remembered the feel of Luke and Leia in her arms. Luke had Anakin's blond hair and blue eyes, he would be just as handsome as him. Leia had Padmé's coloring and Anakin had often said she looked like a miniature of Padmé, while Padmé often wondered if she would be involved in politics like she had been.  
  
The former Senator and Nubian Queen heard someone coming up behind her, she turned off the projector and did her best to compose herself.  
  
^Is there anything you need, My Lady?^ the voice of an Ithorian asked.  
  
She turned and looked at the speaker.  
  
"Thank you, but I am fine. Everything here is lovely." She smiled and hoped that her voice didn't quaver too much.  
  
^You miss your family.^ Tan Klan stated gently.  
  
Tears rose up in her eyes.  
  
"Yes."  
  
^I share your pain. My son was killed in the war and my daughter has gone to the forest floor.^  
  
"I am sorry." Padmé placed a comforting hand on his arm.  
  
^He died bravely, my wife and I are proud of him.^  
  
"I thought your people didn't believe in war," Padmé quietly said, confused.  
  
^We do not like war, but our son saw that he was needed to protect what he loved. He will be honored among our people,^ he told her.  
  
"It still must be hard to lose a child," Padmé said.  
  
^Yes, some wounds never go away, but they all begin to heal with time.^  
  
Padmé nodded.  
  
^You will see this some day.^  
  
"I do not fear so much my wounds as those I have inflicted, however indirectly, on the galaxy." She hung her head in shame.  
  
^You fear both, but do not worry, he fooled us all, few will blame you. You are loved by many, that is why he feared you so.^ Tan Klan told her.  
  
Padmé closed her eyes. "I was so blind," she said quietly. "How could I not have seen him for what he was?"  
  
^As I told you before, he fooled everyone, even the Jedi.^ Tan Klan gently reminded her. ^Do not take more than is your due.^  
  
"I can't help it! I helped him become Chancellor; he was of my planet! I should have stopped him when I had the chance and not taken his advice on the vote of no confidence!" she replied passionately.  
  
^You will learn with time not to.^ he told her ^You should rest my Lady. You have had a long restless day and you will know many more before you know peace.^  
  
Padmé nodded.  
  
^May your dreams be those of a better time...for us all.^  
  
"Thank you, I wish you the same."  
  
Tan Klan nodded. He bowed to Padmé, turned and left.  
  
Padmé went to her bedroom; she got undressed, sipped on a nightgown and let down her hair. She walked toward her bed and paused. She turned back to where she had laid her dress, reached into the pocket and pulled out the holoprojector. She set it on the nightstand and turned it on and climbed in bed. She lay there looking at the holo, wishing with all her heart that she could go back to that day and be with her family. Tears slid down her cheeks silently. She cried, she cried for her family, her friends, her galaxy, she cried late into the night. She never remembered falling to sleep, only that her sleep was mercifully dreamless and that for the first time in months she was able to forget everything that had happened. For the first time in months she was able to sleep soundly. ~*~  
  
Sorry about Tan Klan's dialogue being all messed up. I just fixed it...I hope. 


End file.
